Living with Electricity

Electrical home wiring – How old is the wiring within my home or apartment and should I be concerned about this?

A good question, one which electricians hear often.

We live from day to day enjoying the luxuries and benefits the miracle of electricity brings to our daily lives, which can easily be taken for granted. We rarely think of or worry about the potential hazards which may exist in our homes.

If you have lived in your home for a considerable time or you have an older home which is new to you, we highly recommend you have a qualified electrician do a simple survey of the condition of your wiring. A simple examination of your main panel and grounding system will go a long way to preventing risk to your home and your loved ones. Not to mention costly damage to your precious electronic devices. Your home computer, smart televisions, video games and surround sound systems are all at significant risk when your system is poorly grounded.

Aluminum wiring

If your home or apartment was built between 1970 and 1984 there is a 50/50 chance it was originally wired with aluminum. Should you discover aluminum was used… there is no need to panic! Costly replacement with copper is not usually necessary. Aluminum wiring often gets an undeserved bad rap. The aluminum wiring products used in Canada were far superior to those used in the U.S. Aluminum cabling was always installed with a grounded conductor. You will most likely have a grounded system throughout your residence. This is a very good thing!

Should you discover you have aluminum. The terminations to all devices such as circuit breakers, receptacles and switches must be examined. Aluminum deteriorates byway of prolonged compression and heat. Heat will increase over time which causes more deterioration and more heat.

The hazards exist where the aluminum connects to these devices! Examination and preventative maintenance by a qualified electrician will go a long way in preventing fire and other costly hazards.

Copper Wiring

Is your home wired with copper? If so, it is important to confirm it is a grounded system throughout the home by an electrician. If your home was built prior to 1954/1955 there is a good chance the branch circuits are not grounded throughout. Homes built prior to 1940 were wired with the old ungrounded and hazardous “Knob & Tube” method.

In either case, there is a good chance that subsequent additions and modifications to the older wiring have been performed. Thereby adding more loads to your older, obsolete and hazardous system.

Electrical renovations in older homes were most likely performed by amateurs, not professionals.

Should you discover your home is wired with an ungrounded system as described above a complete re-wiring of the home is necessary to ensure the safety of persons and property.

If your home is more recent than 1955 you should be blessed with a wiring system consisting of grounding conductors throughout.

What should I do?

Firstly, be sure your home is equipped with A.C. or battery smoke detectors throughout. The more the better. Particularly if you have young children or elderly in your home.

Secondly, be sure to have a current ABC Fire Extinguisher readily accessible.

Finally, call a Qualified Electrical Contractor to discuss your concerns. Be sure to ask for his/her qualifications, licensing and insurance information. They are compelled to provide this information under The Electrical Safety Act.

We’d appreciate any comments or questions you may have, and we will be more than happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have.